


Life Drawing

by aunt_zelda



Category: D.E.B.S. (2004)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, F/F, Femslash Yuletide, First Kiss, Misses Clause Challenge, Museums, Theft, Yuletide 2017, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 01:31:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13136340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aunt_zelda/pseuds/aunt_zelda
Summary: AU: Amy is traveling Europe's art museums, and Lucy is casing them for art theft.





	Life Drawing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pugglemuggle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pugglemuggle/gifts).



> Liked your letter and wanted to write a treat fic based on the art theft AU you proposed. Hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Note: La Chute du Chat is no longer owned by the Matthiesen Gallery, but I couldn't think of a better painting for Amy to adore.

Amy first sees her in Barcelona. She’s spending the day at the art museum, sketching to her heart’s content. In the sculpture wing, she spots a beautiful fellow tourist, a woman with long dark hair and a hat pulled low over her eyes. Amy can’t understand why, as the woman is very beautiful. Perhaps she’s a movie star who wants to avoid attention?

Between studying the sculptures, Amy tries her hand at sketching the beautiful woman. She doesn’t want to get out of practice now that she’s left college and doesn’t attend life drawing classes any more. 

The woman leaves. Amy leaves a few hours later and forgets the woman by evening. 

The next morning Amy watches the news over breakfast. The museum was robbed the previous night. A diamond-embedded sculpture was stolen.

~*~

Amy sees her again in Berlin. It takes her a while to remember why, but a quick flip through her sketchbook reminds her. The hair is longer, the hat is different, but it’s clearly the same woman. 

Another art aficionado? Or simply a tourist checking off a list of museums on her travels? Regardless, Amy feels the strange urge to go say hello and mention the Barcelona sculpture gallery. 

Blushing, Amy shakes herself. She’s been reading too many lesbian romance novellas on her flights. That sort of meet-cute might work on the page, but not in real life. 

She sketches the woman again though, peering at a modern art exhibit. 

Amy dwells on the beautiful woman that night in her hotel. Where is she staying tonight? A hostel? A fancy hotel downtown? A friend’s home? Amy thinks of the woman entwined with a man and scowls suddenly, rolling over in disgust. 

Over breakfast the next morning, there is an update on the art theft story from before. A second theft, nearly identical to the first, has occurred. Once again, diamonds were the subject, though they were painted on a canvas.

~*~

The third time Amy sees her, this time in the Louvre, the woman approaches her. 

“What are you drawing?” the woman asks. She’s not aggressive about it. Her smile is warm. 

“Everything,” Amy flips through a few pages to demonstrate. 

“These weren’t done here,” the woman points to earlier pages. “You were in Berlin, two weeks ago.”

“I was.” Amy grins. “So were you.”

The woman’s eyes flash. “Maybe …”

“It’s so funny that we keep running into each other!” Amy laughs. “Are you on a gap year or something?”

“… or something.” The woman sits down beside Amy. “American?”

“Am I that obvious?” Amy asks. “Yeah. You?”

“I’m from all over.” 

“Military brat, huh?” Amy smiles sympathetically. “Half my family’s enlisted. I was supposed to but … not the life for me.”

They get lunch at the overpriced museum café, surrounded by tourists. Amy finds out the woman’s name is Lucy, but not much else about her. She likes books about pirates. She’s traveled all over the world. She’s self-employed. 

“You wanna go somewhere a little more … intimate?” Lucy asks, after another family of shrieking tourists wanders past their table. 

Amy had intended to sketch away the afternoon, but exploring Paris with the mysterious Lucy sounds like a lot of fun. 

Lucy takes her to a local restaurant hidden away from tourists. The owner comes to their table and personally serves them, bringing them delicious dishes that Amy didn’t see listed on the menu. He brings them an expensive wine and refuses to charge Lucy for it. 

“That’s a remarkable replica,” Amy comments while dinner is under way, noting the Matisse over the mantle. 

“Is it?” Lucy smiles, sipping her wine. 

Amy wants to go back to Lucy’s hotel room, but Lucy gets a phone call towards the end of the evening and regretfully leaves, after hailing a cab for Amy. 

“We’ll see each other again, Amy Bradshaw,” Lucy promises. “You can count on that.”

Amy goes to bed buzzed, head swimming with colors and promises of a romantic encounter like 

The hangover in the morning nearly prevents her from noticing the news that the Louvre was robbed in the night. 

~*~

Amy is shocked to see Lucy again so soon. The Matthiesen Gallery is not an especially popular destination after all. 

“Hello, stranger,” Lucy says behind her. 

Amy jumps, startled. She’d been busy admiring the work of Jean-Alphonse Roehn, specifically her favorite piece of his: La Chute du Chat. 

“Lucy!” Amy beams. She’s seen one of her favorite paintings in the world, and now here’s the mysterious woman from Paris again! Could her life get any better?

“I know a lovely restaurant not far from here,” Lucy offers. “If you’re not too busy?”

Amy had been hoping to sketch La Chute du Chat, but it will be here tomorrow. It’s not as though it’s going anywhere. 

The restaurant is another delightful affair. Amy is beginning to wonder if Lucy is one of those people who smuggles mushrooms across international borders or something, circumventing customs agents to enable chefs to prepare extravagant meals. That would explain her constant traveling, and her cagey attitude towards discussing her job with a near stranger. 

Amy is … drunk. Lucy helps her back to her hotel room and Amy slurs apologies. 

“I wanted to kiss you,” Amy confesses, as Lucy lays her in bed and tugs her shoes off. “I’m so sorry …”

“I’ll be here in the morning,” Lucy promises. “Rest up.”

Amy drifts off with a smile on her lips. 

~*~

When Amy wakes the next morning, she sees … La Chute du Chat.

Not a print, not a replica … La Chute du Chat. Still in its frame even, from The Matthiesen Gallery.

Lucy sits beside it, sipping coffee. “Morning,” Lucy beams, far too cheerful for someone up so early after all that wine. 

Amy groans. “What … how … you …” 

And suddenly it all falls into place. The museums. The thefts. The oblique references to being “self employed.” Hell, even the love of pirates. 

“You’re a thief.” Amy says flatly. 

Lucy’s smile falters. “Is that a problem?”

Amy opens her mouth to instantly agree that of course it is … and then reconsiders. Is it, truly? 

Amy frowns. “You have to return that painting. That’s a public gallery.”

Lucy sighs heavily. “Do you have any idea how difficult it was to steal that on the fly last night with barely three hours of prep time?”

Amy folds her arms. “Do you want that kiss or not?”

Lucy throws up her hands. “Fine, fine! I’ll put this one back!” 

She stands up and starts making calls. On her way out the door, she darts to the bed and kisses Amy.

“Gotta steal something today.” Lucy grins. “See you later.”

Amy grabs her by the arm. “I’d better. ‘Cause I’ve wanted to do much more than kiss you. Since Berlin.” 

Lucy visibly struggles to leave the hotel room after that. 

Amy stretches out on her bed. Maybe if she asks nicely, Lucy will let Amy sketch her naked tonight.


End file.
